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Local
Elections |
New York: Our community, the Indo Caribbean community is in dire need of quality leadership. We need representation on various local governing boards including school board, community board, hospital advisory board and civic associations. Indo Caribbeans would be more suited to represent their own since they are more aware of our necessity, but anyone who can truly understand and advocate for us should be supported. Support mean actually voting for such persons as well canvassing and raising funds for them. Remember, money is the mother's milk of politics.
In recent history the Indo Caribbean voters have not voted even for their own! In the last elections when Dr.Taj Rajkumar contested the Democratic primary he won in only one Electoral District in which the Indo Caribbean population was a majority. As a matter of fact, he received less than 500 Indo Caribbean votes! Honestly speaking we can do better than that! Politicians look at numbers. The more votes a community can deliver the more attention that community will receive. It matters very little whether we are Democrats or Republicans. Many community leaders refused to vote or support Michael Duvalle because he ran on the Republican line. Incidentally, in his races he beat Pauline Cummings and Gregory Meeks in those same Electoral Districts where Rajkumar lost to Cummings! Now these same community leaders are saying that we should support our own. Was Duvalle not one of us? This is hypocritical!
Our candidates need to live up to high moral standards. They need to be seen kissing babies and walking with their families instead of dallying in the company of other people's wives. Also, they need to clean up their act prior to announcing their intent to run for public office and they need to keep it clean from that point forward. The community needs to hold them to high standards. It is easier to correct a fault in its early stage before it become cancerous. If a community condones wrong doings that community is doomed to failure.
Our candidates must be qualified, that is they must be aware of our issues and concerns. Candidates need to attend civic association meetings, school board meetings, community board meetings, police council meetings etc. These meetings are the University for learning about such issues and concerns. Candidates also need to be accessible.
The 28 councilmatic district election is closely watched by our community. Here are some weaknesses on which our candidates need to be challenged.
Ram Jodha: When was the last time Mr. Jodha attended a school board meeting? Community board meeting?
Inderjit Singh: In the last Phagwah parade we expected more involvement from the Sikh community. Understandably the Sikh community has its differences with the Hindus of India. but the Caribbean Hindus consider Phagwah sacrosant. Mr. Singh should have made a better effort to try and unite our communities.
Trevor Rupnarain: Here is a candidate who wants to represent the Indo Caribbean community but is afraid to be forthright and say he is an Indo Caribbean candidate. Recently a company in which he is involved won a contract in Guyana. The way the contract was awarded is suspicious. Naturally one wanders whether this is the way Trevor will conduct business if he is ever elected? Remember 'bush got ears dutty got tongue'.
More importantly Trevor needs to build alliances with community leaders who are not supportive of him. Rather than alienate he should befriend them and and turn them into allies. Remember 'you can catch more fly with honey than with lemon'.
It was almost two years ago that Trevor announced his candidacy. Can he say what he has done to empower the community since then? What contributions did he make during the census? The census can empower a community in more ways than an elected official can and it can make the work of that elected official much easier or harder depending on the findings.
Should Trevor lose the election what will be his level of involvement? In city council district 28 there are over 151,000 residents but census data show that there are lees than 20,000 Indo Caribbeans in Richmond Hill. We all know that this is not true.
The Indo Caribbean community needs to raise money for political candidates who are contesting elections here in America. This is our home. Understandably we have feelings for Guyana and Trinidad . But let us fix our home here and what ever resources are left over can then be sent there.
With all the money that have been raised for Guyana and Trinidad politicians, what changes can they effect for the problems affecting our children in the New York City public school system? Can they help in providing more affordable housing? Or more affordable child care? Let us use our resources wisely.
We must realize that a politician who wins an election in which he/she does not receive many votes or much money from a particular community that community will not be a priority for that politician.
The Indo Caribbean people need to wake up and demand representation. Our candidates need to be qualified and to lead by example. NO EXCEPTIONS!
By the way one does not have to be an elected official to empower the community. We can empower our community by cooperation. As the limbs in the body cooperate among themselves man is obliged to hold himself a limb of society and discharge his duty. The limbs in the body cannot isolate and function exclusively for themselves. What one limb does is for the general welfare of the whole body. Even so a man cannot and should not segregate himself from the corporate life. His duty is to make himself a useful member of society.
A thief verily is he who enjoys the benefits given him by society but does not discharge his duty.- Bhagwad Gita.